Three days later, the first batch of eleven graduate management trainees officially started.
On the first day, everyone dressed formally.
In the HR meeting room, the General Manager personally gave a short onboarding speech. It was polite, inspiring, and painted a bright future for the new employees, earning enthusiastic applause.
After the HR General Manager finished speaking, the HR supervisor took over with a PPT presentation, introducing the establishment and development of Spris, its organizational structure, corporate culture, and more. They also explained the main training path for the management trainees.
Once the supervisor finished, Zhu Xuanmin from HR stood up to explain the more practical details: initial benefits for trainees, social security and housing fund, use of office software, overtime policies, dining arrangements, and so on.
She went on to outline the one- to one-and-a-half-month departmental rotations for management trainees. After rotations, HR would work with each department to create a “performance report” for every trainee. HR would then use these reports to decide each trainee’s first official role.
The supervisor interjected, clarifying that the first role wouldn’t fully determine a trainee’s career path, but it could influence future development. Everyone should take rotations seriously and figure out what they are most suited for and interested in.
A hand went up. The supervisor nodded, and the person asked, “What if I’m assigned a role I don’t want?”
“Applications can be submitted,” the supervisor replied. “HR and the relevant departments will re-evaluate.”
The boy who had asked the question continued, thinking aloud: “What are the evaluation standards? With so many departments, and only one month for rotations, how much can we truly understand about the departments, and how much can they learn about us? Can they make accurate assessments of every trainee in such a short time?”
“Rather than saying the first role is important, I’d say the evaluation decides everyone’s fate here.”
Morning passed quickly. With work badges already issued—usable for elevators and the cafeteria—the eleven trainees left the conference room and headed to the elevator to go to the dining floor.
The boy who had questioned the evaluation, Yuan Miao, led the way. The others walked alongside him, discussing the evaluation system.
He Xiaoyuan didn’t know anyone and wasn’t outgoing, so he walked alone. Yet his appearance was striking—among the eleven trainees, he was easily the most good-looking, far surpassing ordinary standards. Even if others forgot names during introductions, He Xiaoyuan’s would stick.
A girl approached him: “Hello, I’m Xin Rui.”
He Xiaoyuan turned politely: “Hello.”
Next to Xin Rui was a boy who extended his hand. He Xiaoyuan shook it.
“I’m Zou Fanping, M University,” the boy said, gesturing to Xin Rui, “She’s M University too.”
He Xiaoyuan replied: “I’m from C University.”
Zou Fanping and Xin Rui were both surprised. C University is a 211 school, and in today’s hyper-competitive environment, most 985 students entering Spris were already exceptionally strong. They immediately assumed He Xiaoyuan must be a top talent.
The three of them walked together. Zou Fanping brought up Yuan Miao’s earlier doubts: “Spot on. There are so many departments, and with only two or three days per rotation, supervisors probably won’t remember our names or faces. How can they give an accurate evaluation?”
Xin Rui: “The evaluation must be inflated.”
Zou Fanping: “So where we end up depends largely on luck.”
Xin Rui: “Not entirely. Maybe they just place people where manpower is needed.”
Zou Fanping: “Management trainee programs sound fancy, but in the end, some might even do worse than those hired directly into positions.”
Xin Rui: “At least the pay is higher.”
Lunch at the company started at eleven. The HR floors were already cleared, so the trainees arrived a bit later. They gathered by the elevator, chattering energetically.
He Xiaoyuan, though hungry, said nothing, listening and mentally filtering useful insights. He admired the clarity of thought and foresight displayed by these top performers. Initially, he hadn’t thought that deeply—he just wanted to see how rotations went—but now, seeing the evaluations dissected so clearly, he reflected on the potential inaccuracies of the scoring system and first role assignments.
He considered asking Xu Ruomeng for advice, though she hadn’t joined Spris through the management trainee program, so he might need to reach out to past trainees for guidance.
The elevator arrived. Everyone entered, standing comfortably in the spacious cab.
He Xiaoyuan, 183 cm tall, was neither tall nor short among the boys, but surrounded by girls and with Zou Fanping nearby, he stood out.
A brief silence fell before Xin Rui looked up and teased, “Handsome, with a face like that, you must have had many girlfriends, right?”
He Xiaoyuan curved his lips slightly, used to such remarks, and didn’t respond—he recognized it as a joke.
Zou Fanping jokingly shot back at Xin Rui: “You can ask, but don’t get your hopes up.”
Everyone laughed.
Another girl chimed in: “He Xiaoyuan, why come to Spris to compete with us? You should be in the entertainment industry competing with male celebrities.”
Another added: “How do you know he isn’t? Maybe in a few years, we’ll be buying subscriptions on our phones to watch his dramas.”
The atmosphere had shifted from serious discussion about evaluations to lighthearted joking.
When they arrived at the cafeteria floor, the sight of abundant dishes left everyone marveling at how good the company meals were. For a moment, all thoughts focused solely on eating. The cafeteria, spanning an entire floor, staggered dining hours from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., so it rarely felt crowded.
He Xiaoyuan preferred simple fast food for lunch, and upon seeing the serving area, he headed straight over. As he walked, groups of people—especially the girls—couldn’t help but glance at him, some secretly raising their phones in admiration.
Soon, photos of He Xiaoyuan in the cafeteria circulated across various company chat groups. The spread was viral, reaching Xu Ruomeng’s group and even making it to the CEO’s office. Xu Ruomeng, seeing that the new trainee was a standout, almost burst laughing when she recognized him. She immediately messaged him: “Friend, first day on the job and you’re already famous.”
Jo Sixing also saw the photos in the executive office group. Watching everyone comment on the “face of this year’s trainees,” he allowed himself a private smile only he understood: Xiaoyuan~~
But he quickly grew thoughtful. While the whole company could admire He Xiaoyuan, he, as the assistant, had to anticipate the CEO’s intentions and manage potential situations. Seeing that He Xiaoyuan had already started his first day, Jo Sixing took screenshots of the candid photos from the cafeteria and privately sent them to the CEO.
In the afternoon, HR assigned desks and computers to the eleven first-batch trainees. Since the trainees wouldn’t stay permanently in this office, the equipment was temporary. Many items were missing, requiring them to retrieve peripherals from the administrative storage. Once at the shared workspace, the trainees had to set up monitors, keyboards, and mice themselves.
Fortunately, being young and efficient, they quickly located everything. As they assembled their workstations, the group began chatting:
“Didn’t expect the first task at the company to be moving computers.”
“Yeah, the last time I moved one was for my girlfriend.”
“Nice, at least you have a girlfriend.”
“Come on, you all sound like you don’t have one at all. Hands up if you don’t.”
The boys were busy, but several girls raised their hands in unison. Xin Rui muttered, “Who wouldn’t want a sweet, soft girlfriend? I want one too.”
“You mean bread?” someone teased.
Zou Fanping: “Now you’ve made me hungry.”
Laughter and chatter continued as He Xiaoyuan finished setting up his computer and helped the girl next to him connect her peripherals. Occasionally, his phone lit up with messages from Xu Ruomeng, who was passing time and chatting casually. Once done, he logged into the company’s OA system with his employee ID and initial password. A welcoming message popped up immediately:
“Spris welcomes you aboard.”
In the CEO’s office, Lu Chen leaned back in his chair, momentarily setting aside work, eyes fixed on the photos on his screen. All showed He Xiaoyuan in the cafeteria, candid shots from different angles—all effortlessly good-looking. Lu Chen’s lips twitched slightly as he studied them.